Hurricane Maria Intermediate Advisory Number 17A

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL152017
800 AM AST Wed Sep 20 2017

…EYE OF MARIA LOCATED OVER EASTERN PUERTO RICO…

SUMMARY OF 800 AM AST…1200 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…18.2N 66.1W
ABOUT 15 MI…30 KM SSW OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…150 MPH…240 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NW OR 305 DEGREES AT 10 MPH…17 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…921 MB…27.20 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The government of France has changed the Hurricane Watch for St.
Martin and St. Barthelemy to a Tropical Storm Warning.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* British Virgin Islands
* Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques
* Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Puerto Plata
* Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Saba
* St. Maarten
* St. Martin and St. Barthelemy
* Dominican Republic west of Puerto Plata to the northern border of
the Dominican Republic and Haiti
* Dominican Republic west of Cabo Engano to Punta Palenque

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* St. Maarten
* Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Cabo Engano

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area. Preparations to protect life and
property should be rushed to completion.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before
the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds,
conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

Interests elsewhere in Hispaniola and the Bahamas should monitor the
progress of Maria.

For storm information specific to your area in the United States,
including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor
products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast
office. For storm information specific to your area outside the
United States, please monitor products issued by your national
meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
At 800 AM AST (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Maria was located
near latitude 18.2 North, longitude 66.1 West. Maria is moving
toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h). A west-northwest to
northwest motion is expected to continue through today, followed by
a northwestward motion on Thursday. On the forecast track, the eye
of Maria will continue to move across Puerto Rico this morning and
emerge off the northern coast by this afternoon. The center will
then pass just north of the northeast coast of the Dominican
Republic tonight and Thursday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph (240 km/h) with higher
gusts. Maria is an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane on the
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, and it is forecast to retain
this intensity while it moves across Puerto Rico.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from
the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150
miles (240 km). A sustained wind of 81 mph (130 km/h) with a gust
to 109 mph (175 km/h) was recently reported at Yabucoa Harbor,
Puerto Rico. A sustained wind of 63 mph (101 km/h) with a gust to
118 mph (190 km/h) was recently reported at Camp Santiago, Puerto
Rico.

A National Ocean Service tide gauge at Yabucoa Harbor recently
reported a water level of 5.3 ft above Mean Higher High Water.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 921 mb (27.20 inches).

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/69529-hurricane-maria-intermediate-advisory-number-17a

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